The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-10-29

Public servants should be elected TO legis-
lative or executive offices, therefore having
In view their purpose In regard to unsettled
questions, rather than because they have
done thus anu so, touching matters of policy
that have been settled and are now OF only
historic consequence or interest.
The coming presidential election, how.
ever, promises to be fought more notably
than usual on basis Of future legislative
or executive action. There are certain
great questions Of business moment that
must be settled. They cannot be relegated
to the background by lesser things or by a
Refreshing of threshed straw. The Ban
quo ghost of a tremendous surplus In sight,
which lies idle, and which, meantime,
because Of a constant revenue, is daily in
creasing In magnitude, threatening bust
ness disaster to which the county never saw
parallel, by the ASSERTION of millions
of money by the treasury that should
remain in use by the people,-"will not
down." nor will the accompanying ques.
tons of taxation and revenue. These must
be settled; and candidates for office will be
asked, How will you act when the time for
that settlement arrives!
In the series on Possible Presidents"
which the North american ReUteio is pub
fishing, the writer's on the republican pos
sibles," have curiously enough almost
scrupulously avoided any statement of the
views Of "their men" on these questions
John Sherman is the subject of the Novem-
Der essay. Very naturally the reader seeks
to know what Mr.. Sherman's views are and
why he is possible president" and yet
in all the 10 pages of text, it is impossible
to find single idea in answer to the desire
of the reader, though there is much con-
corning Mr. Sherman's past. The repub-
ublicans of today are the true American
Bourbous.
The reasons given by the writer that
make Mr.. Sherman possible candidate
are interesting, however Having first
parenthetically remarked that his is can
ddate who will avoid antoganisms" by
patting the southrons nm the back in q
speech In Tennessee, and given them
shoel in speech to republican audience
in Illinois y the writer gives 10 points:
/. He Is available to secure labor votes; -
because no man has done more to secure
the enactment of protective tariff laws.
2. He can get the colored vote because
he was an original abolitionist and In
1867 agreed to turn them out of the State
offices for the benefit OF the democrats In a
swap of state offices for the presidency tor
Hayes? The colored man and brother
doubtless appreciates that kind of friend.
ship.
B. He will get the conservative Southern
vote because of expressions in his Spring
field speech!
H. He was the author of several financial
measures.
5. He will get the support of those in
terested in protection and merchant ma
rine because "he is in full sympathy
Win Tue pOilCy vi COLlueTCldl ueNclopHent
by legislation and treaty stipulations" but
we are not told how commerce can be
created "by legislation and treaty stipula-
tions" where by the natural law of trade
under present conditions of tariff, &c, there
Is and can be no commerce.
6. He will have the support of the SOL
diers because he voted for the depend
ent pension bill
T. He has been long in the public ser.
vice.
s. He will be supported by the wool
growers, for obvious reasons.
0. He is a civil service reformer.
10. He will get the Pacific coast vote,
because he is silver.money man.
II. He Is an earnest and efficient repub-
lican.
10. He can command the agricultural
vote because he is willing to cut of the
tax on raw sugars and give bounty for Its
expectation.
But what does he propose to do with the
surplus?
Does he favor free whisky and tobacco
and taxed necessaries of life, or uice yersd ,
We are not told. Yet he Is possible
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